President Donald J. Trump has secretly authorized the Pentagon to begin using military force against Latin American drug cartels that his administration has designated as terrorist organizations, according to The New York Times.

This classified directive signals a dramatic shift in U.S. counter-narcotics strategy and marks the most aggressive step yet in Trump’s escalating war on transnational crime. The order, which provides legal justification for possible direct military action at sea and on foreign soil, comes amid growing pressure from the White House to curb the flow of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.

Military planners have begun drafting operational options, though details remain scarce. Officials familiar with the internal deliberations spoke to the Times on c

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